Mowing and shrub trimming attachment for tractors



G. W. HOLMES July 22, 1952 MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1946 Fig. 1/.

lulu/tor Gray IM Holmes b and y 22, 1952 c;. w. HOLMES 2,603,930

MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. 5, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

Inventor Gray VI. Holmes G. W. HOLMES July 22, 1952 MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 5, 1946 lure/liar Gray W Holmes 124 I I26 Am and July 22, 1952 v s. w. HOLMES MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. 5, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 mm mv mm \N kn I, If //r I I om mm m Sm [Ill EH10! Gray W. Holmes Y W a Attorney;

m B vn A F IJ/fI/Il/l/l/l/l/l/ Il/lI/I/II/I/ll/Il/llfll/I/l! I\ m m mm I mm mm 1 I 1 H I m mm mm vm I I m G m E July 22, 1952 G. w. HOLMES MOWING AND SHRUB' TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. 5, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet-5 g g 8 #8 T f /'E T T u U\% o \z x O I u V8 to r Gray W. Holmes July 22, 1952 w, HQLMES 2,603,930

MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. 3, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 lun'lllor Grqy M! Holmes B; WW a Attorneys July 22, 1952 G. w. HOLMES 2,603,930

I I MOWING AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACHMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Dec. 5, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Inventor 51,4111, 1''. III

1 Figure 315 a side view of Figureli frame-for the sickle parts;

Patented July 22, 1952 .7 UNITED STATES PATENT MOWING' AND SHRUB TRIMMING ATTACH- 3 v MENT FOR 'TRACTORS 1 e V GrayW. Holmcs,'Miller, Mo. Application December 3, 1946; Serial No. 113,793

offhedg'es and the like to the desired shape for ornamental purposes, The above and other objects may be attainedby employing this invention which embodies amongits features a mowingiattachment adapted to besecured to and driven by'a tractor which includes an extensible frame supported for rocking-movement about an'axis' parallel to the longitudinal axisofthe tractor, a"sickle bar and sickle mounted atone fend of the frame for pivotal movement about anaxis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tractor and. a drive, motor for the sickle mounted on the frame at its junction with the sickle bar and sickle.

Other features include means remote from the mctor and the frame for regulating the various movements of'the sickle bar; and the drive thereof, andmeans operable upon contact of thelsickle bar and'sickle' with an obstacle automatically to interrupt the tractor drive;

' Still' other features include means to tilt the frame upon which the sickle bar is supported, and yieldingly to suspend it in such'tilted position so that s'houldthe frame encounteran obstacle it may'move, and means actuated by the movetractor drive.

'ment of the frame automatically to-interrupt the In the drawings? v with this improved attachment Figure 2 is a'front view of Figurejl;

Figure. 4 is ,a: view partly in plan and v in horizontal section, showing the supporting bar and sickle and adjacent Figure '5 is a'reduced sectional heathen f substantially along the linea -B bi Figure I Figure 6' is artransverse sectional View ken substantially along the line 6'6 of Figurei Figure- 7 is" an enlarged jfragmentaryj detail view of thetractor showing the supportfor one end of the sicklebar and sickle supporting frame;

Figure 8 is a side; view of Figure 7; Figure 9 is an' enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line -99 of Figure 4';

Figure 10 is a sectional view-taken substantial- 1y along the line Ill-411i or'Figure- 9;

partly g 7 Claims. (011569-25) "Figure 1 is afplan view of a tractor "equipped Figure 11 is a perspective'view'ofthe control box; V

Figure 12' is a'schematic detail viewQillustrating the means automatically to'interrupt the transmission of driving power to the drive wheels of'thetractom p Figure 13' is a' diagrammatic view of the by draulic control system} i Fig-urel is a bottom plan view'ofa fragment of the sickle bar and its mounting, and Figure 15 is a diagrammatic view of the automatic clutch disengaging equipment.

Referring tofthe drawings-in detail -a tractor designated" generally H1 is equipped with'the conventional traction wheels H connected through a conventional axle and transmission mechanism to the engine of the tractor. The

drive is'controlled'by means of'a conventional clutch pedal I2 (Figure 12) mounted at the upper end of a conventional clutch lever 13, and the tractor is equipped with a conventional steering wheel I 4 by means of which the front ground wheels l5 are controlled. A conventional drivers "seat I6 is supported on the tractor chassis desig nated' generally IT in the conventional manner,

and connected by. means of an endless beltl8 ing plate 24" carrying a laterally extending block '2 5g to which a cylinder 26 of a double-acting rec procating hydraulic motor is pivotally supported as at "21. Working in the cylinder is fa pistonia" (Figure '13) to which a piston rod ltjis' connected, and-this rod projects through thelbwerendofthe cylinder through a suitably 'p'a cked joint and terminates-at itslower end an --a -'-universa l coupling 30' 'Whichin the present jinstance takes the 'form 'of a ball and socket couplin f v Mou-ntedor otherwise attachedto the side bar -2l' of the tractor frame IT opposite the bar-2| to which the plate 22 attached is a'suitable attaching" plate 3| (Figures 3 and 12) supporting intermediate its-ends the cylinder -32 -'of a double-acting reciprocating hydraulicamoton 'and adiacent pposite ends parallel guide sleeves33.

V will -be more fully hereinafter described.

The cylinder 32 is equipped with a piston 34 (Figure 13) to which is connected a piston rod 35 which operates through the upper end of the cylinder 32, and is connected at its upper end to a cross-bar 36 of an inverted U-shaped yoke which includes arms 31 which depend from the ends of cross bar 36 and have out-turned cars 38 each of which is provided with an opening. which aligns with the bore of the respective guide 33. Slidably mounted in the guides 33 and extending through the openings in the ears 38 are the end guide and supporting arms or rods 39 of a U-shaped yoke provided at their upper ends with 4 ried by the arms 54 near their outer ends are tubular shafts 65 which align axially with one another and extend toward the longitudinal axis of the member 5|. A suitable rotary hydraulic motor 66 is supported at the inner ends of the shafts 65 and 65' and serves as the driving means for the sickle in a manner to be more fully hereinafter explained. I

Secured to the underside of the drive, motor as by suitable cap screws 61 is a supporting and suspension plate 68 provided with an annular desuitable heads 40 and connected at their lower ends by the intermediate cross-bar 4| of said yoke, the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained. Attached to the lower ends oftral depending boss 12 to which the inner race of an anti-friction bearing 13 is attached. The

the arms 31 are brackets 42 to which the upper ends 43 of retractile coil springs 44 are attached. The lowerwends of the springs 44 areconnected as at new brackets 46 carried by the guide bars 39 near their lower ends so that the guide bars 39. and the cross-bar 4| are yieldingly suspended on-the lower ends of the arms 31. I Slidably mounted on the cross-bar 4| for movement perpendicularly to the movement of the piston rod 35, and along an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal'axis of the tractor is a yoke 41 carrying at one end a universal coupling 48 which in the present instance takes the form of a ball and socket joint.

Connected to the umversal couplings 30 and 48, and extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tractor II] is the outer member 49 of a telescopic frame designated generally which is provided. with an inner member 5| slidably mounted on rollers 52 carried by brackets 52- securedwithinthe member'49 as will be readily seen upon reference to Figure 5. Each telescopic member'is substantially rectangular in plan as illustrated in. Figure 4, and extending transversely of theinner'member5l near its outer end is apartment/e11 53 forminga pair of spaced horizontally extending arms 54 in which the drive motor forthesickle and sickle bar is pivotally mounted asfwill be more fully hereinafter ex- Extending longitudinally of the member 49 intermediate its sides is the cylinder 55 of aidouble acting reciprocating hydraulic motor containing a piston plained.

extends through one end of the cylinder 55 and is connected at 58 to the partition Wall 53, so that themember 5| may be moved inwardly and 'outwhich extends parallel to the longitudinal axis ofthe frame or member. 5|,- and working in the cylinder 58" is a piston 59- (Figure 13) to which 56 :(Figure 13) to which a piston rod 51 is connected; and this piston rod is connected one end of a piston rod 60,the opposite end .of which operates through one end of the ylj der; 58'..- The member 5| carries a, cylinder' Th -r d" 6|!v e dsihm u sp l n .ir igfljle partition wall 53 and carries at itsforward end a rack. bar 6| the purpose ofwvhich nected to the rod 60 is a plunger 62' whi p;-

crates within the cylinder 2 andextendinbetween opposite ends'of theplunger fifiand the cylinder 62' are compression coil springs63 in order to form. a cushion forthe absorption of shock when the sickle is moved to an elevated or loweredposi-tion by the piston 59.

. PiY0tally supported m;suitab1e: i1 s 64 carouter race of the bearing 13 is pressed or otherwise rigidly fixed Within a rotary head 14 carrying a central boss 15 the upper end of which is provided with a socket 16 into which the. drive shaft 11 of motor .66 is received. Driving connection between the 'drive shaft 11 and the boss 15 is established through the medium of a suitable key 18, so that when the motor 66 is set into operation the'hea'd 74. will be rotated; Surrounding the head T4 and'fixed to the plate 1| is a housing body we) the lower end of which is welded or otherwise secured 'a supporting plate 89 which is pierced as at 8| (Fig. 10) for the reception of cap screws 82 byfmeans of which a sickle bar 83 may be coupled'to the housing body [9. A sickle 94 is slidably mounted with relation to the sickle bar and is coupled as at 85 to a, slide r0dv86 which in turn is pivoted near its inner end as at '81 to a connecting rod 88. The

opposite end 89 'of the connecting rod is pivotally connected to a, depending crank pin 90 carried bythe rotary head 14, so thatwhen the motor 66 issetiinto operation the sickle will'be' reciprocated. 'Suitable. guides 9| (Figure 9) are arranged on opposite sides of the bar 86in order to assure movement of the slide rod 86 only along one axis. 'A retractile coil spring Wis anchored at one end to orient the screws by whichthe ring 10 is attached to the suspension plate 68, andat its. other, end to' the housing 19 to yieldingly resist rotation of the housing and hold the .Sickleand sickle bar in proper'cutting position.

Working through an opening 92 (Figure 10) in the plate 68 is a;latch pin 93 yieldingly held downwardly by means of a compression coil spring .94,- and the lower end of this pin is rounded asillustrated and adapted to engage in a recess '95 formedi'n the'upper surface ofthe platellthe rounded e'ndiof the plunger 93 will ride out QifthejlotCh B5,?2Hdipllnit the Sickle bar aiid sickle to'swingabout theaxis of the shaft .11 and. against the eifortof thespring 10". When the peerage has beenpa ssed by the'mach'ine, the spring 19?. will return the palrtslto their 'initial fis a, segmental "gear rack 6|, so that when ant mechanism including .the sickle bar and sickle will-be rotated about thelongitudinal axes of the tubular shafts 65 and 65 to raise or lower h sick e rend e-.-

Secured toone of the. guide; bars 39(Figure 12) acos aso is' a cylinderII'I containing a piston (not shown) tolwhich apiston rod '98 is connected. :This piston-rod works through a packed opening in one end'of the cylinder 91 and is connected as at 99 .tothe yoke or carriage. A flexible tube I is connected to the cylinder. 91 and its opposite end is connected to a cylinder I0I containing a :piston (not shown) which is connected to a piston rod I02 atthe'outer end 'of which is pivoted to alever I03 one. end of which is pivoted as at I04 to the frame I'I, while its opposite end is pivoted as at I05 to a plunger rod: I06 which operates through a tubular guide I01. carried by the clutch operating lever- I3 of. thetractor. .A latch I08is'pivoted as at I09 to..the.; clutch pedaI.I2 and is provided with an angularlyextending: arm H0 which. overlies the clutch; pedal. as will be' readily understood upon referenceto -Figure 12. The. end of the latch I 08, opposite that which is pivoted to the clutch pedal carries a latch dog III which is adapted to engage in a-notch I I2 in the plunger I06 when no pressureis applied to theangularextension H0. It will thusbe seen-thatwhen thexmower or the telescopic frame 50 encounters an obstacle, the yoke or carriage, 41 will move toward the rear of the tractor, thus forcing fluid. contamed-within the cylinder 91 into the cylinder IOI to cause the piston rod I02 to operate the lever I03 andexert a pull on the plunger I06, thereby depressing the clutch pedal H0 to .disengage the clutch and interrupt the driving power between the engine of the tractor I0 and the traction wheels II.

v In order to return the carriage 4'! to its initial position a compression coil spring 41' is anchoredat one end to the cross bar II and at its opposite end to the yoke or carriage so that when the carriage moves under the influence of an'obstacle engaging the sickle the spring will be com,- pressedand after the pressure has been released, the .energy stored in the spring will return the parts to their initialoperating position. A pressure release latch 41" serves in connection with a depression in the bar 4| to. hold the parts in proper position. Alsocoupled with thecylinder I M through the medium of a flexible tube I3I is a cylinder I32 (Figure 8) which is attached to the plate 22 adjacent the lower end of the cylinder 26.. This cylinder I32 contains a piston (not shown) to which is connected one end of a 'piston rod I33, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected. to the cylinder 26 near its lower end. It will thus be seen that when the cylinder 26 rocksgwith the rocking plate 24, the

piston within the'cylinder I32will be moved. The

piston rods 98 and I33 are normally extended to their fullestso that the pistons within the respective cylinders- 9'! and, I32 lie at the ends of the cylinders opposite the tubes I00 and I3I, while the piston within the cylinder IOI is. wholly retractedf In this condition; the cylinders 91 and I3-2 and; the tubes I00 and I BI are fluid filled, so that when either end of thefra-meSO is engaged by an obstacle the piston the cylinder IOI will be moved to disengage the clutch of the tractor.

The cylinders 26, 32 and 58 are connected to the pump 20 through suitable conduits and manifolds H3 and control valves H4, so that fluid pressure created by the pump may be utilized to operate the pistons within the various cylinders and also to control the operation of the drive motor 66. In order to preserve a uniform pressure within the system a suitable pressure chamber H5 is provided and carries a spring pressed '6 plunger HG. which. serves to preserve the entire system underipressure. An expansion chamber H1 is also provided, and like the chamber H5 is provided with a spring pressed plunger H8 which will yield in case the pressure in'the system exceeds a predetermined value. The valves H4 are contained within a control box H9 and actuated by means of suitable control levers I20 which extend through'the box which is preferably supported on a suitable bracket I2I mounted within'convern'ent reach of the driver's seat I6 so that all movements of the sickle and sickle bar may readily" be governed. Y Tilting ofthetelescopic frame 50 about an axis extending through the universal couplings '30 and-48i whereby the angle of attack of the mower against the growing plants may be regulated, is governed by' a'cylinder I22 one end of which is pivoted as at I23 to the yoke or carriage 41, while the opposite end is provided with 'an opening through which piston rod I24 operates. The inner end of the piston rod is connected with a piston*'(not shown) and the'cylinde r is provided with ports to which flexible tubes I 25*are -'connected to supplyfluidto actuate the piston. The end of 'th'e-piston rod I24 opposite that connected withthepiston in thecylinder I22 is pivotally connected as at I26 to the frame 50, so that when fluid is admitted through the conduit I25'leading to the'upper end of the cylinder the forward side of theframetil will be elevated whereas when fluid is admitted through the conduit entering the lower end of the cylinder, the forward side of the frame 50 will be lowered. A suitable shoe I 21 is attached to the housing IQ-by means of'a suitable hinge connection I28, while the opposite end of the shoe is connected through the medium of a link I29 and set screw to the opposite sideof the housing as will-be readily understood upon reference to Figure 9. I Y

In use it will be understood that-the operator of the tractor manipulates the levers I20 to control-the positions of the telescopic .frame- 50 and the angle of the sickle bar and sickle. The tractor is then driven inthe conventional manner and should an obstacle be encountered by either the end of the telescopic frame 50, or the sickle bar and sickle, the frame 59 willswing toward the rear of the tractor, thus forcing fluid contained within the cylinder 91 into the. cylin-. der IIII to disengage the'clutch of the tractor so as to stop its forward movement. The operator may thenmanipulate the proper levers to move the sickle bar'iand sickle into a positionv to .disengage the obstacle, or it maybe necessary to elevate the telescopicframefifl and tilt it. at a different angle in order to escape the obstacle, all of which may be accomplished from the drivers seat oft-the vehicle; Having manipulated the mechanism to avoid the obstacle, the parts .may be reset to operative position and the mowing or trimming may'be continued until again interrupted through engagement of theparts by another obstacle. The cycle may then be repeated and the entire operation carried on by the operator of the tractor without requiring that he leave his position on the machine.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

'What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a mowing attachment for tractors. a

, bar, aconnecting rod operatively connecting said head to said sickle, power operated means connected between the motor and the'frame to rotate the motor about its pivotal axis to raise and lower the sickle bar and sickle, and spring means connected between said plate and said housing toturn the housing in one direction to a predetermined positionand to 'yieldingly resist turning of the housing in the other direction.

2 The construction defined in claim 1, ,together with a yielding latch means to latch the housing in said pre-determined position.

3. In a mower attachment .for tractors, a double acting reciprocating hydraulic motor including a. 'cylinder mounted in a substantially upright position at one side of the tractor for tilting movement laterally and longitudinally of said tractor and having a downwardly projecting piston rod, a second double acting reciprocating hydraulic motor including a cylinder rigidly mounted at the other side of the tractor and having an upwardly projecting piston rod, a telescopic frame disposed transversely of the tractor between the front and rear wheels thereof and including inner and outer frame members, 'a double acting reciprocating hydraulic motor arranged within and interposed between said frame membersfor projecting and retracting the inner frame member, a universal joint connection between the first named piston rod and one end of the outer frame member, an inverted U- shaped yoke centrally fixed to the upper end of the second named piston rod, vertical guides fixed to said other side of the tractor at the front and rear of the second named cylinder, a second, U-shaped yoke having end arms slidable in said guides and slidably connected to the ends of the first named yoke, a third yoke slidable on the intermediate portion of the second named yoke longitudinally of the tractor, yieldable means to resist rearward movement of the third yoke, a universal joint connection between the third yoke and the other end of said outer frame member, tension springs yieldingly supporting thesecond named yoke from thefirst named yoke, a motor driven reciprocating sickle type cutting mechanism mounted on the outer end of said inner frame member, and controlmeans for each of said motors, said means operable from the driver's seat of the tractor for independently controlling the operation of the motors. v

4. The construction defined in claim 3, together with a rod means releasable by the foot for connecting said rod' to the clutch pedal of the tractor, a reciprocating hydraulic motor opfile of this patentz eratively, connected tosai'd rod, .and hydraulic pumps operatively connected to the third yoke and to the first named cylinder for actuating the last named motor to release the tractor clutch upon rearward displacement of the frame.

Y 5. Theconstruction defined in claim 3, together with a double acting reciprocating. hydraulic motormoperatively connected to the frame for laterally tilting, the latter about the universal joint connections to vary. the angle of attack of the cutting mechanism. .i

6. In a mowing attachmentfor a tractor, a frame mounted on saidtractor, a rotary motor pivotally mounted .in said frame'member on an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tractona' mounting plate rigidlyise cured to the underside of said .motor, said plate having an axial opening'therein, a driveshaft on said .motor extending through said opening, a housing journaled on said plate, asickle-bar, said sickle bar having one end fixed on' said housing, a rotary head journaled in said housing, a driving connection between'said drive shaft and saidhhead, a crank pin on said head, asickle slidably mounted on said sickle bar, a connecting rod pivotally connected: to said sickle and to said crank pin, resilient means yieldingly biasing said housing into a predeterminedposition with regard to said mounting plate.

7. In a mowing attachment for a tractor, a frame mounted on said tractor, a'rotary motor pivotally mounted in said frame member on an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tractor, a mountingplate rigidly secured to the underside of said motor, said-plate having an axial opening therein, a drive shaft on said motor extendingthrough said opening, a housing journaled on said plate} a sickle bar, said sickle bar having one end fixed on said housing, a rotary head journaled in said housing, a driving connection between said drive'shaft and said head, a crank pin on said head, a sickleslidably mounted on said sickle bar; aconnecting rod pivotally connected to said sickle and-to said crank pin, resilient means yieldingly biasing said housing into a predetermined position with regard to said mounting plate, said plate having an opening therein, a recess in said housing registering with said openingf a' latch pin extending through and having a rounded end engaging said recess, andresilient means urgingsaid pin into contact with said recess.

' GRAY W'.'HOLMES.

REFERENCESCITED g The following'references tar o f'record in the PATENTS;

UNITED STATES Number Name Date" 1,911,516 Landing i May' 30, '1'933 ,939, 51 Dec; 19;, 1933 1,953,394 Clapper .XApr. 3,;19'34 2,065,901 Leavitt Dec; 29,1936 2,375,912 5 "Gifford 

